According to the National Hurricane Center, the first named storm of this year's hurricane season, Tropical Storm Alberto, made landfall in Mexico early this morning. The storm is forecast with a rainfall of 20 inches across parts of northeast Mexico and nearly a foot of rain throughout southern Texas. Flood advisories for much of the Gulf Coast from southern Texas to Louisiana and Alabama.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an 85% chance of above normal Atlantic hurricane season, which could see 17 to 25 named storms.
Humanity experiences different forms of Mother Nature's fury wherever we live. In our case, it's the fierce tornadic funnel clouds that can reach down and wipe out entire towns in minutes. As wonderful as summer is, there's always the possibility of storms ranging from mild to catastrophic.
Today, June 20th, is the first official day of summer, the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere. According to NASA, June's full moon will be the lowest full moon of 2024. Because of this low position, it will appear bigger than ever. It is known as the Moon Illusion.
Each full moon has its own name. Here in North America, we take the names of the full moons from the Native Americans.
January: Wolf Moon, named after the howling of hungry wolves lamenting the scarcity of food in midwinter.
February: Snow Moon. February's typically cold, snowy weather in North America earned its full moon the name.
March: Worm Moon. Named for the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground.
April: Pink Moon. Named for the Pink Moon after a species of early blooming wildflower.
May: Flower Moon. Gives thanks for the abundant blooming that occurs as spring begins.
June: Strawberry Moon. The harvesting of strawberries in June gives June's full moon its name.
July: Buck Moon. Male deer shed their antlers every year. In July they begin to regrow them.
August: Sturgeon Moon. The fishing tribes noticed that sturgeons were easier to catch in the Great Lakes and other bodies of water during this time of year. Sturgeons were an important food source for the tribes. The word 'sturgeon' means 'the stirrer,' which describes how the fish stir up mud and silt on the river and lake bottoms while searching for food.
September: Corn Moon. This is when crops are gathered at the end of the summer season. The Moon appears particularly bright and rises early, allowing continued harvesting into the night.
October: Hunter's Moon. This is the preferred month to hunt summer-fattened deer. Like the Harvest Moon, the Hunter's Moon is particularly bright and long in the sky, giving Hunter's the opportunity to stalk prey at night.
November: Beaver Moon. There is disagreement here. Some say it comes from Native Americans setting beaver traps during this month. Others say it is from the heavy activity of beavers building their winter dams.
December: Cold Moon. The coming of winter earned December's full moon the name Cold Moon.
The month of June honors the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. It's a popular time for marriages. It was also harvesting time for honey in medieval times. The 'honeymoon' often follows a marriage, and the term is entwined with this alternative moon nickname.
In some spiritual traditions, June's Strawberry Moon is seen as a symbol of love and prosperity. It's a time to appreciate and savor life's sweetness and connect with the love and abundance surrounding us.
Our special dinner guests this past Saturday were served a fresh plate of large fresh strawberries, along with individual cups of Cool Whip topped with Hershey's chocolate syrup. For fun, we dipped strawberries in the Cool Whip and chocolate for the perfect June dessert. I guess we were incorporating nature into the ritual of sharing a meal with dear ones.
This month's full moon will hit peak illumination at 9:08 p.m. ET tomorrow Friday, June 21, 2024. We will have three evenings where the moon appears full, from tonight into Sunday early morning, according to NASA. Strawberry Moons only fall within a day of the solstice every 19-20 years, making this month a rare solar event.
"Every day it's a different version of itself.
Sometimes weak and wan,
sometimes strong and full of light.
The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain.
Alone.
Cratered by imperfections."
~Tahereh Mafi
Have always liked the names of the moons. What tribes were in your area? We have descendants of the Iroquois Confederacy, which included the Oneida, Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Tuscarora.
ReplyDeleteIn our area, the Sac, Fox, Sioux and the Winnebago tribes. The town we live in and the county we live in are both Indian names. (When I use the word Indian, I use it with the greatest respect. Political correctness is just that. I've grown to despise the word 'political.' When we were kids, we played cowboys and Indians.......to say we played cowboys and Native Americans just doesn't make sense to us baby boomers. Best not say more. Don't want the political correctness police coming after me. (giggle)
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